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John Hageman

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John Hageman covers North Dakota politics from the Forum News Service bureau in Bismarck. He attended the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, where he studied journalism and political science, and he previously worked at the Grand Forks Herald and Bemidji Pioneer.

BISMARCK -- North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp's farewell speech has been rescheduled for Tuesday morning, Dec. 11, her office said Friday. Heitkamp will give her final speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate more than a month after she lost her bid for a second term to Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer. The speech will start at 11 a.m. CT and will be livestreamed on her Facebook page and on C-SPAN 2. Heitkamp was scheduled to deliver her farewell speech this week but it was postponed due to former President George H.W. Bush's death.

BISMARCK -- Leaders of the North Dakota Republican Party will consider endorsing a law change next week that would allow the state's political parties to avoid bitter intraparty primary election battles.

BISMARCK — North Dakota utility regulators signaled to Xcel Energy that it could seek to recover the cost of several wind farms through its customers’ bills Thursday, Dec. 6, as they acknowledged growing concerns from the public about such projects. The eight projects consisting of roughly 1,850 megawatts were given an “advance determination of prudence” and are located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. The two in North Dakota are already under construction.

BISMARCK — A North Dakota state board revoked the license for a former West Fargo middle school teacher who was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for having sex with a student and sharing illicit photos and videos with students Thursday, Dec. 6.

BISMARCK — Few changes were made to committee chairmanships for the upcoming North Dakota legislative session, according to rosters provided to reporters Wednesday, Dec. 5. Overall, there were only six changes made to the Republican leadership of the 25 standing committees between the two chambers. Most were due to retirements, electoral defeats or leadership appointments. Majority leaders in both chambers are responsible for selecting committee chairmen and vice chairmen. Both chairmen of the House and Senate appropriations committees retained their posts.

BISMARCK — North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp postponed her final floor speech after the death of former President George H.W. Bush, her office said Monday, Dec. 3. Heitkamp was originally scheduled to give the speech Tuesday morning. A new date and time will be announced soon, her office said. Heitkamp lost her bid for a second term in office to Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer.

BISMARCK — North Dakota state lawmakers are curiously awaiting Gov. Doug Burgum's budget address next week, which will mark the first two-year spending plan the businessman-turned-politician has crafted from scratch since coming into office with a message of government reinvention two years ago. Burgum will present his proposal to lawmakers Wednesday morning, Dec. 5, in the state House chambers. Lawmakers will be in Bismarck for a three-day organizational session ahead of the next regular session starting in January.

BISMARCK — The owner of a defunct off-track horse race wagering company from Fargo claimed victory Thursday, Nov. 29, after a federal bankruptcy judge denied a creditor’s claim for more than $10.8 million.